Valve for dispensers



Sept. 6, 1949. D. TROMPETER VALVE FOR DISPENSERS Filed Nov. 28, 1945 Patented Sept. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

VALVE, FOR DISPENSERS David Trumpeter, SandyHook, Conn.

Application November 28, 1945, Serial No. 631,341

concerned the cost and facility of replenishment of the material to be discharged, and a dispenser which, by virtue of these improvements and others, is practicable for a wide variety of uses, such, for instance, as for use in spraying DDT, petrdleum-derivative and other sprayable fumigants disinfectants and insecticides; for use in the garden in spray attack on parasites, fungous growths and the like; for use in applying fertilizer solutions, and so on.

Because of extreme simplicity of construction, and rugged and reliable working parts, moreover, the dispenser of the present invention may be sold at modest price, per se, and in the light of the fact that, unlike the so-called Army type of DDT bomb recently made available of purchase by the general public, the new dispenser does not have to be discarded after its initial charge has been dispensed, but, instead, is readily refillable with its required fluid contents.

Furthermore, the dispenser of the present intion, unlike the bomb just alluded to, requires the placement therein of merely a single substance, to Wit, the liquid or other substance which itself is to be discharged. The previously employed supplementary substance, for acting by chemical or other action dissipative of its own retention in the dispenser to force discharge of a liquid in fine droplet form from the dispenser, need not be used.

The invention will be more fully understood, and the above and various other features, objects and advantages thereof will become apparent or be pointed out in the course of the following description of an embodiment of the invention now favored.

Such embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical axial section, partially in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a detail section, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan, looking down on the discharge unit.

1 Claim. (01. 251-8) ring application at l8.

'tures being here shown shell [5.

Referring to the drawing more in detail, the dispenser illustrated comprises merely a 00m tainer marked generally ill, a discharge unit H, aliquid-refill unit l2, ing unit 14.

and a compression induct- The container I0 is preferably made up as shown of two fairly thin sheet metal parts spun to shape to provide two Well-like shells l5 and I 6. These shells at their open ends when made areformed with peripheral beads; such beads being indicated at ll and (in broken lines) at lla, so far as the shell l5 is'concernod, and at 18, so 'far as the shell I6 is concerned. The bead i8 is formed as shown when the shell I6 is made, but the bead l"! isshaped as shown at Ha when the shell 15 is made; so that when the shells are brought together at their open mouths the container may be made air-tight and converted into substantially a unitary structure by spinning over the bead I1 toshape it as at Ila in tight grip on the bead 18, with, if desired, a of solder or the like asindicated 'The container Ill is apertured at three locations, for the units H, 12 and l4;'these aperas all carriedbyth'e Referring to the discharge unit I I, this is comprised of 'an exteriorly threaded seini housing l9 havinga hollow chamber 20 presenting a valve-seat'2l. Said seat is closable by a valve member 22; there beinga complementary hollow semi-housing I 9 withinwhich the disk-top 22a of valve member 22 is reciprocable; and said housing l9, hereinafter called the screw-cap,

having an interior thread takingthe exterior thread of the housing l9.

Said valve is normally held closed by screwing down the screw-cap i9. When, however, this screW-capis turned, by means of its-projecting three spokes 29, spirally upward on the housing I9, a spring 26 forces the-valve member away from its seat, andthe chamber'Zilis placed in communication with a spray discharge port 28 in the screw-cap I9 byway of a plurality of always open ports, two of which are shown, through the disk-top 22a of the valve member.

Semi-housing l9'has a basal circumferential flange as shown, by which said housing issuitably and in an air-tight manner secured to the shell l5 about the aperture at which the unit II is located. To the bottom of such flange is suitably secured the top of a tube 3i to place the interior of the latter incommunication with the bottom port in the semi housing l9 leading 3 to the valve-seat 2|. The securement of the flange 30 to the bottom of the housing i9 is an air-tight one, as also is the securement of the tube 3! to said flange; and the bottom of the chamber 20 can be placed in communication with the interior of the container It! only when the valve-member 22 is raised from the valve-seat 2|, and then only by way of the bore of the tube. As will be noted, the ports through the disk-top of the valve-member 22a're non-parallel, and this is now deemed preferable, as assisting in the work of giving the discharged liquid a finely broken up condition as it is discharged through the port 28 and so from the container 1 into the tube under pressure when apressure supplying agent is housed in the container with the liquid to be discharged.

Referring to the refill unit l2, this comprises athimble or nipple 3|, having a basal circumferential flange 32 by which it is suitably and in an air-tight manner secured to the shell 15 about the aperture of which the unit I2 is located.

Nipple 3| has an external thread, takin the internal thread within a screw-cap 33. When the container I needs refill of its liquid to be dispensed, it is necessary merely to remove the cap 33, and, using for convenience a small funnel, pour into the container the amount of liquid desired to be stored therein for future dispensing.

Referring to the compression-induction unit I4, but before describing its structure, it should be explained that the concept of the invention involves also a new method of dispensing a liquid in finely divided form from a container. That method involves pooling in the container a predetermined amount of the liquid to be thereafter periodically at will fractionally discharged by spray or the like, and during themaintenance in the container of such liquid also storing in the container a material always normally in the gaseous state, as air, under relatively high pressure say the 30-pounds pressure customarily used in maintaining automobile tires'infiated.

In accordance with this concept, unit l4:is provided, and preferably constructed in the way shown, to allow any type of air-pump or the like to be used for placing under pressure the liquid to be discharged. For instance, the ordinary bicycle hand-pump may. be used; or the .compressed airhose found in practicallyv all garages and service stations. Such a convenient and free supply of compressed air is generally easily located nearby, and in the cities at only a few blocks walking distance away.

The unit l4, it will be noted, comprises a short sleeve 35 interiorly threaded and at its top provided with a peripheral flange 36 by which it is suitably and in an air-tight manner secured to the shell about the aperture at which the unit I 4 is located. At its bottom this sleeve is externally circumferentially grooved as at 31, and into this groove is spun the upper end of a valve-seat shell 38 having a buttocks-shape in axial section as shown and having a central air-passage 39. The shell 38 is of the same diametral section all around the same, or, in other words, is shaped according to a surface of revolution. The same characteristic is true of a valve-member shell 48, which, like the valve-seat shell 38, is preferably a spun up sheet metal member; and the outer part of the shell 40 is spun into an external peripheral groove 4| at the bottom of a screw-plug '4 42 having an exterior thread coacting with the interior thread of the sleeve 38.

As will be seen, when the plug 42 is screwed all the way down in the sleeve 35, opening 39 is blocked, and when the plug 42 is unscrewed somewhat the opening 39 becomes an open air-passage port. Communication between the interior of the shell 38 and the interior of the shell 40 is afforded by way of an opening 43 in the shell 40.

The plug 42 is hollow, and at diametrically opposite points thereon there are provided two longitudinal slots 44 both open at the top of the plug. Set in these slots is an element 46 of inverted T-shape. The bar of the T is shouldered as shown, so that when such bar is placed in the slots 44 the stem of the T is fixed in position as an upstanding post 48 substantially axially of the plug and the ends of the bar project as a pair of like spokes 49, 49.

The entire unit l4 assemblage just described is locked together by applying a ring-cap 50,

.which has an interior thread matching a short exterior thread at the top of the plug 42.

Thus a very simple and inexpensive unit is provided; comprising merely two small spun metal shells 38 and 40; three screw machine products, the sleeve 35, the plug 42 and the ring-cap 50; and one stamping, the bar 46.

The post 48 formed on the bar 46 is for corresponding in function to the ordinary function of the Well-known central stem of the ordinary automobile-tire valve, that is, to open up the discharge end of the compressed-air hose. When, with the container I8 desirably held with its axis horizontal, and with the post 48 pointing downward, the discharge end of said hose, indicated in dot and dash lines at 52, is entered into the properly restricted opening new at the lower end of the ring-cap 50, which opening is of about the same diameter as that of the hose 52, the familiar (but not shown) oneway valve in the discharge end of the hose is opened. Then, immediately on manually turning the plug 42 by use of the spokes 49 until the shell 4G is sufiiciently withdrawn from the shell 38 to uncover the opening 39, compressed air induction is obtained to the desired pressure degree; whereupon the spokes 49 are again used to rotate the ent invention is to provide not only a dispenser fabricable at a very low, cost but one which because readily refillable need not be discarded after its initial charge has been dispensed) by eliminating the entirety of the unit i2, hereinabove explained to be present solely for facilitating expeditious insertion into the dispenser of a replenishment quantity of the liquid to be dis.- pensed; as it has recently been demonstrated that the unit I4 .may be employed also for this purpose conveniently and satisfactorily. Since the best procedure, when the dispenser is to be recharged, is first to add the liquid content, say to fill about half the cubic capacity of the dispenser, and thereafter to add the compressed gaseous medium, the use of the unit M for first adding the liquid and then also for adding said medium, could be as follows:

Unscrew and temporarily. remove the screwplug 42 and all its carried parts; then, with the dispenser substantially horizontal and with the outer open end of the sleeve 35 uppermost or almost uppermost, pour in the liquid, as by use of a tunnel as already mentioned in connection with the unit 12 for quick and easy supply of said liquid for passage through the opening 39; next, reapply the screw-plug 4'2 and its carried parts to restore the said unit M to its condition as shown in the drawing; and, the screw-plug 42 having been unscrewed sufl'iciently to space the shell 49 from the shell 38, and the dispenser having been extended in any one of several directions in none of which directions of extension the surface of the liquid may reach the opening 39, employ an air hose 52 as above described to store air under the desired pressure also in the dispenser, and, after that, screw up tight again the screw-plug 42.

It is to be understood that all matter contained in the above specification or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be taken in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The scope of protection contemplated is to be taken solely from the appended claims, which are to be interpreted as broadly as is consistent with the prior art.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention, and parts of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

A fluid admission unit for a container, said unit including the combination of a tubular plug for connection to said container, said plug having an internal thread and an exterior circumferential groove, a second hollow plug having an external thread matching said internal thread and also having an external peripheral groove, a dished sheet metal member having its surrounding marginal portion spun into said groove on said second plug, the first-mentioned sheet metal member being dished to a greater radius of curvature than the second-mentioned sheet member, each of said sheet metal members having a fluid admission opening, and one of said openings being ofiset from the other in a direc- 6 tion radially of both sheet metal members, whereby, due to said diifering radii of curvature of the two sheet metal members, when said second plug is screwed inwardly of the first-named plug one of said sheet metal members at a point removed from its opening acts as a valve element seatable against the other sheet metal member at its opening to constitute said opening a complementary valve-seat element said second plug at its outer end portion having a pair of slots extending longitudinally of the plug, a cross-bar of greater length than the outside diameter of said second plug seated in said slots to provide a plurality of projecting ends :of said cross-bar to act as turning spokes, said second plug having an outward projection from a point on the crossbar within the second plug, and an internally threaded and apertured cap, the second plug being externally threaded opposite said slots and said thread matching the internal thread of the cap, said projection from the cross-bar protruding through the aperture in the cap.

DAVID TROMPE'I'ER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,037,785 Marshall Sept. 3, 1912 1,423,418 Grikscheit July 18, 1922 1,604,252 Banfil Oct. 26, 1926 1,640,527 Brown Aug. 30, 1927 1,651,866 Bowers Dec. 6, 1927 1,775,055 Tarbox Sept. 2, 1930 1,856,664 Steen May 3, 1932 1,959,102 Hummel May 15, 1934 2,040,302 Fortier May 12, 1936 2,125,554 Franck Aug. 2, 1938 2,137,786 Schlosser Nov. 22, 1938 2,462,291 Sette Feb. 27, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 622,336 France 1927 

